Observations focused on the problems of an underdeveloped country, Venezuela, with some serendipity about the world (orchids, techs, science, investments, politics) at large. A famous Venezuelan, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, referred to oil as the devil's excrement. For countries, easy wealth appears indeed to be the sure path to failure. Venezuela might be a clear example of that.

Hugo Chavez’ Health Becomes More Mysterious as he Undergoes Emergency Operation in Cuba

Nothing bizarre or unusual here. An emergency operation and the Venezuelan President was taken to Cuba of all places, just around the corner for an emergency. (Whatever happened to Barrio Adentro?)

Other than his knee problem, there has been no warning of the President having any other problems, other than his unusual silence the last couple of months. Chavez appeared to be better, went to Brazil and then all of a sudden this news. But I heard otherwise then, some debilitating disease, bone related. Pelvic problems, ummm…

88 Responses to “Hugo Chavez’ Health Becomes More Mysterious as he Undergoes Emergency Operation in Cuba”

Does your blog have a contact page? I’m having problems locating it but, I’d like to send you an
e-mail. I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great site and I look forward to seeing it develop over time.

I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the
shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit
crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never
wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic but
I had to tell someone!

After Chavez dies the oil boys will go back and try to take all the oil money again. Chavez did a lot of good for the poor people of Venezuela. He will be sorely missed. I am afraid of twhat the dragon USA will do when he goes. Watch out Venezuela.

Richard: It will be hard to reverse the brain drain. The main reason is that the distortion of the economy is such that salaries will be very low. The second reason is that Chavismo, much like Peronismo, will be difficult to uproot from the minds of Venezuelans. Finally, those that are succesful elsewhere, which are the ones you want, are the ones that will have to think the most about returning, they will have a lot to lose. Personally, I left in February after 33 years fighting to stay, I am in a different age group, but I dont plan to return.

Having lived in Vnzla most of the years betweeen 1975 and 1996 and developed a feeling for the place, I must agree with Johny’s desire that a halt be called to the madness. It is indeed time the immense wealth of the country were better served.
It also appears that there has in fact been a substantial “brain-drain”, similar to the escape of well-educated talent from the UK during the 60’s and 70’s. So startling to see on the net the numbers of Vnzlans at present living in Madrid, US etc ready to communicate. Could there be a possibility of a migrant’s return to take the tiller once Mr. Despot has gone ? The wide outlook and freshness of the Vnzlan’s attitude was always so refreshing, so free af many of the predujices and artifices suffered by many citizens in other Latin American countries. Has this been lost ?
I write from Brazil which advances stride by stride as Vnzla, a country with a far greater potential due to its relatively small population, is in the mud. Can any commentator closer to the action see light at the end of the tunnel ?
Watch this space ?

I hope is a Bad Nasty Cancer Tumor *** like those incurable with any chemo*** I pray to God you die cause “YOU FAT IGNORANT PIG” you’ve transformed my Venezuela into another CUBA full of Russians! The Cold War over?? sure!! Why so many Migs with Warheads and Russians in Valencia?

Jeez mtllove, what a buzzkill. Let us enjoy a few minutes of speculation about what kind of filfty fulids have collected inside of Hugo’s netherzones. Parenthetically, given your lengthy but marginally insightlful diatribe, I can only imagine the frothy lather you might generate over the tragedies unfolding in a half-dozen African countries over just the past twenty-four hours. Don’t fret, though, brother. There appears to be no limit on how many words one can splill into this blog. Viva La Revolucion! (sorry…it just sounds like such a cool saying I couldn’t help myself) — Paul

[…] To “It’s All Your Fault”While The Government Thinks Big on Housing, It Leaves People BehindHugo Chavez’ Health Becomes More Mysterious as he Undergoes Emergency Operation in CubaNew Debt in 2011 to be Increased by 112% at President Chavez’ RequestTrying to do some tourism in […]

Chavez’s rotting pelvis can be compared to the rotting of ideals around the world. We are at war with the ones that do (contribute to the betterment of the human race) and the do not’s (complainers who believe that governments should be the saviors of humanity). Unfortunately in today’s world the tides have changed for the entrepreneur and the hard worker. An entrepreneur is no longer looked up to for his/hers creative ingenuity to create employment and wealth, which in turn creates tax revenue to support inefficient government programs which in turn gets money to the “do not’s” of the world. No, now the entrepreneurs are looked down upon and given titles such as oligarchs. Wealth has become worse than the plague. It’s a little bit like killing the goose that lays golden eggs in order to eat it. What happens next, after you kill the willingness to create wealth and all social programs have no more money to function? Chavez has money to pay for his “revolution”, because of money created here in the first world. We have become slaves to the do not’s, working our asses off, paying high prices for gas and energy, then this money filters down to idiots like Chavez who in the end wants to destroy us. We are the golden goose and countries like Venezuela, Libya, Iran, Cuba, etc… want us destroyed. Then what? Who will make medicines, invent new technologies and “value adds” to society. Does anyone remember any of these countries inventing, or participating in the betterment of humanity? Not even a fancy ass toothbrush has come from these ungrateful complainers. The Roman Empire fell to the barbarians, and then the world went from having culture, reading and writing, to illiteracy for one thousand years. The American way of life may not be perfect, although we definitely have a prosperous lifestyle and few go without food. We need to go back just a few years, 1940’s and 50’s to see misery and people not having enough to eat. Our way of life is good and we should appreciate it more. I read comments here of people praising Chavez, I would invite them to Venezuela, or Cuba and have them live there for a while before they make these statements. Ignorance is bliss but stupidity is rampant in today’s society. We are self destructive and have suicidal tendencies as a society; basically we are committing cultural suicide. Wake up people, let’s stop giving our wealth away to these idiots and salvage our way of life. The true problem is that we are bleeding wealth and we are weak and terminal. The power hungry leaders of these 3rd world nations are using the flag of democracy to cover the reality that they are actually dictators profiting from the ignorance of the voters. It is well known that the education in countries like Venezuela is horrible, and most people do not go to school. Chavez sends trucks of sub-standard groceries into the poor areas in order to “buy” votes. He keeps his people ignorant by limiting information and changing the school curriculum to preach “Chavismo” to the young who know no other leader or way of life. WE MUST REACT; OUR WAY OF LIFE WILL DISAPPEAR IF WE DO NOT REACT.

I didn’t say that the passing of Chavismo would be easy, just that it would not survive without Chavez. The concentration of so much power in the Executive has guaranteed that his passing would leave a very large power vacuum. Regrettably, I see few scenarios of a change of power that do not involve considerable civil disturbance and violence.

I totally agree with you.The psychology of this movement is such that the spell will break if he is gone.There are those however who do not wish for this to happen until they can get their favorites into power.

I disagree. Although I also think Chavismo is about Chávez and all his honchos have no chance right now, Chávez’s early death would lead to violence in a way that Colombia did not see when Gaitán (a much less disgusting populist but a pathetic populist nonetheless) was killed.
For one thing, we would have a civil war. By that I mean cars blowing up and stuff like that, whether Peter Pan or Mandrake or Superman becomes the president.

Chavismo, like fascism, is built around a powerful, charismatic leader. While, the proclivity of the Venezuelan people towards over-reliance on a powerful figure remains, Chavismo is unique and will die with its author.

at the moment there is nobody, but there will be a lot of opportunities for someone (in the future) who acts like him then. Someone who promises a lot, someone who talks against the oligarquía, the Imperio, etc. You can be sure, there will no scarcity of candidats given the due time.
I’m sure if Chávez die in the next time, he will be a sort of heroe for not a little amount of people. Better let the reality show the failures of him, the electricity crisis, the failure to build the houses, etc..
“Life is about solving one crisis at a time.”
Don’t try to play chess with such a strategy…

“There are some movements that go away without the main leader. This one, although hanging around Chávez, would not.”

Can you think of and name any present chavista who might step into his shoes should he leave the stage for some reason? Serious question. I can’t. It looks to me like he has eliminated anyone who might pose any serious competition for popularity from his government. In true prima donna fashion, he has surrounded himself with plain janes so as to appear more attractive himself.

“Life is about solving one crisis at a time.”
That’s why the US Americans decided to finance and train the Taliban to get rid of the Godless Russian communists…that’s why Britain decided to topple the democratically elected president of Iran. “Follow your bowels”.

One has to think a couple of steps ahead. Hugo Chávez is just the most external part of the disease. He is the tip of the cancer and she wants to destroy that part while spreading the carcinogenic cells around the body.

There are some movements that go away without the main leader. This one, although hanging around Chávez, would not.

This is a stupid and beyond boring meme- it only fits on occasion.Each case is unique.In the case of Chavez in my opinion it would be a boon.For so many superstitious who believe that Chavez is invincible, this myth( and its concomitant power on the psyche of millions) would vanish.

Chavez explained that even Fidel Castro, who has a close relationship, has given his diagnosis and ordered him to rest.

“I am disobeying Fidel with this call. He says I have to sleep early, “he said.
————-

I suppose the bottomline is that Fidel and Raulinda have been running Venezuela during this period of ‘medical emergency’.
Everything seems to suggest a physical medical condition but I have this nagging doubt that in fact he has a touch of the ‘Maradonnaitis’.

My god!!! IS IT TRUE?
I have just been informed from Holland, that there was this rumor: Chavez has sepsis. A that When he had a knee surgery he grabbed a bacteria in the operating room. The bacterium is extremely resistant to antibiotics. A German doctor, who is an eminent infectologist, arrived in a Havana in a PDVSA Falcon jet. The doctor and the aircraft are already in Havana, Cuba.
A gigantic human chain is being organized, on a global scale, to pray to God for life of the bacteria….

I have a family member who is just finishing medical school in Ven. and I could tell you stories that would totally shock you, akin to the semi-recent scandal at the Caracas morgue – but worse. As someone mentioned earlier on this thread, many of the Cuban “medicos” are not trained up to world standards (medical education was basically standardized, world wide, in the early 90s). Many are not MDs at all and have not had even rudimentary training required for a first world nurse. Another family member, also an MD, was recently in Canaima and had to show the local Cuban medicos what sutures to use to stitch up a pretty significant wound.

That much said, the Cubans have done much to bring basic health care, and there are many fully qualified Cuban physicians in Venezuela (most are treated like indentured laborers, with their passports taken, etc.), but for serious heath issues it’s best to be circumspect.

The problem, and it’s a significant one, is that Chavez has never fully believed there are actual jobs out there that require advanced and specialized education and experience, ergo Chavez installs gaffos with NO experience to run the energy sector, banking, etc. This is not a sound practice per medicine, and believing that higher education is not real or important, as is in fact just so much bourgeois posturing, means you might as well hang a stethoscope around the neck of the jardinaro since it doesn’t matter. Unless you are president, and then you’ll want an expert.

[…] Hugo Chavez’ Health Becomes More Mysterious as he Undergoes Emergency Operation in Cuba Tonight we get news that President Hugo Chavez underwent an emergency operation not of his knee, but of a pelvic […] […]

So, if GPD grow, well, only cares to Chavez’s pocket and his closes followers’ pockets. The Venezuelan people will not feel it anyway. They only feel blackouts !!!!!!!!!!!!. The Venezuelan people only will see black future.

Charly: The starting point for this discussion with this guy was a post a while back about what was Venezuela’s true Debt to GDP ratio. I calculated it using 4/3, 5.3 and a weighted average. Then this jerk and troll came back and said my starting point, the official GDP number was wrong, that it was 300 billion plus because the CIA said so. Since then, the troll comes back periodically with another “source” for his number and I keep arguing about the “official” one, nothing more. Yes, the treu measure is some form of weighted average which people believes is near Bs. 7 today. Divide one trillion by Bs. 7 and that is the best measure of GDP in US$ today.

Why do you use an exchange rate of 4.3. In project economics, when an economy is submitted to price and exchange control, we use “shadow pricing” a prudish expression for black market rate. The exchange rate that should be used may not be this parallel rate but definitively higher than the official rate. So the GPD looks pretty pedestrian.

Jeez, how can you be so stubborn and dense, no wonder you have such weird ideas and support Chavez, GDP is one trillion Bs. in 2010 (I dont give a rat’s ass about 2009) That is the only number that matters. Venezuela’s currency is BOLIVARS, not dollars.

Divide by Bs. 4.3 and that’s it, that is Venezuela’s GDP US$ 235 billion. Period. It is actually lower, because GDP in 1Q11 was lower than the close of 2011 in Bolivars and the exchange rate is Bs. 4.3 and that is the last time you will talk about GDP in my blog and please stop trolling.

“Conclusion: if Pygmalion believes that World Bank data contradicts the BCV data that Miguel cites, he doesn’t know his radius from his ulna, anatomically speaking.” – Gringo.

Gringo you are incorrect! I am saying that the Venezuelan GDP for 2009 is just over 326 billion as stated by the World Bank. I tjhought that the World Bank was a believeable source of economic information?

Now if the World Bank data does not contradict the BCV data, as you imply, then the World Bank figure must be correct. 326 is an excellent figure and muhc higher than Miguel’s 235 billion which would make Venezuela a failed petrostate.

FYI – on Friday a diputado in the AN said that Venezuela’s GDP was 377 billion according to the World Bank but that is an updated figure, I guess. So we are doing better than expected. Hurrah!!!

Pygmalion:The GDP numbers have to be calculated in US dollars and by international institutions since the bolivar exchange rate can be changed at any time by Chavez’s whims.

“Since the bolivar exchange rate can be changed at any time by Chavez’s whims,” the GDP calculated n US dollars will reflect that whim. Immediately devalue the Bolivar by 25%. The GDP in dollars immediately drops by 25%.

Pelvic abscess? Isn’t there a long historical record for leaders with pelvic abscesses, going at least as far back as the emperor Claudius? As I recall, that one was caused by the unwise consumption of mushrooms provided to him by his closest confidants….

Venezuela Population from World Bank
year population
2,009 28,384,000
1998 23,413,000

Thousands of constant 1997 Bolivares per capita
2009 1974
1998 1797

Change in Thousands of constant 1997 Bolivares per capita, 1998 to 2009: 9.85%

Which is about the same as the change for GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2005 international $), calculated from World Bank data.

Conclusion: if Pygmalion believes that World Bank data contradicts the BCV data that Miguel cites, he doesn’t know his radius from his ulna, anatomically speaking. There are less polite but more common terms. Another way of putting it is that Pygmalion is an ignorant twit.

When there is a devaluation, people who know no economics think GDP does not change in US$. It does, because devaluations occur because exchange rates are kept artificially low, thus the “real” GDP is over estimated.

Sure, the normal cuban medicine is not what Chávez get… But he is in an unknown place, with dedicated physicians, no access to the press, no leaks, what want you more if you were him?
The question is, does he knew/planed it in advance or is it really a suddendly situation?

No Pygmallion, the GDP number is comp[uted in BOLIVARS and converted to Dollars at the official rate of exchange. You clearly know ABSOLUTEY NOTHING about this, but keep trolling on the subject. The parallel rate IS NOT USED, the OFFICIAL rate is used. Somewhere between the two is the correct one, that is how this whole thing started and you keep arging what you have no clue about as if you knew. The GDP of Venezuela today according to the Venezuelan Central Bank is the number I HAVE ALWAYS said:

1,011,773,859/4.3=235 billion plus Bolivars.

That’s it, there was never nothing to argue.

You may contend, but YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS OBVIOUSLY. NO, I DONT agree with your higher number, the number is LOWER when you assume a weighted average for the exchange rate between 4.3, 5.3 and the parallel rate. And the “real” numbers is lower than 235 billion, but the official number is 235. Period, Don’t contend about what you clearly have no idea about.

And you troll, troll, troll. Yes, I am pissed you only distract and lie. Remember you saying there are no blackouts? Ask Zulianos what has happened there since Thursday.

Go away!

Miguel – sorry for upsetting you but don’t you think that you are overreacting a little?

The GDP numbers have to be calculated in US dollars and by international institutions since the bolivar exchange rate can be changed at any time by Chavez’s whims. This makes the exchange rate MEANINGLESS in terms of macro econimic analysis. Thus, the figure you give of Bs. 1,011,773,859 would only be about 120 billion dollars if one uses the parallel rate of exchange.

I contend that the GDP figures (the sum of products, production and services) have an intrinsic value beyond the way they are calculated in MEANINGLESS bolivres. So, 326 billion dollars would seem about right. Don’t you agree? 🙂

What Miguel has been trying to point out to Pygmalion is that because inflation rates vary, using dollars to measure Venezuela’s GDP is problematic. If there is inflation of 20%, without any currency devaluation, the GDP can be constant in local currency but grow 20% in dollar terms. Another way to look at the issue is to use constant dollars, to take out international inflation, and purchasing power parity. PPP will at least partially compensate for such oddities as a 20 year old used car in Venezuela going for tens of thousands of dollars. .

There appears to be an uncontested assumption that Cuban medical care actually is better than Venezuelan. Firstly, the highly touted myth of the excellence of the Cuban medical system is just that… pure propaganda. The majority of Cuban doctors are not trained to the standards of the modern world, and they work in appalling conditions and with a severe lack of modern diagnostic equipment, supplies and drugs.

Like any other totalitarian country, there do exist special facilities for the elites that lack for nothing. I am sure that whatever it is that Chavez is being treated for, he is receiving excellent medical care. However, this is far from the norm in Cuba. Do not be misled by the political propaganda.

Well, I looked back for this picture, 861175753101PEG__5761.jpg, originally at AVN, but, they had changed it, now it looks better 😉 You could still see the picture at “mirrors” from AVN (por ahora?) (put this to the w….w. :
ciudadccs.info/?p=179586
abrebrecha.com/impresion.php?id=143465
avn.info.ve/node/61632

Comment by Blog Owner: Just because you can find a number on the Internet is meaningless. The OFFFICIAL GDP NUMBER of Venezuela is the one issued by the BCV not the CIA or the World Bank, are you so dense or stupid that you will never understand this? If tomorrow you find a website that says the exchange rate is Bs. 4.1, is that what you will believe? In the Statistics sections of the BCV, under Agregados macroeconomicos, under PIB a precios constantes you will find THE ONE AND ONLY official GDP number for Venezuela. Click on it, excel will open with GDP numbers since 1950 for Venezuela in Bs. and you will get Bs. 1,011,773,859 for the last GDP , divide by Bs. 4.3 and THAT’s IT, THAT IS RTHE ONLY NUMBER THERE IS all your BS, what you can find, etc that you repeatedly bring is MEANINGLESS. This is the second time that I try to teach you how to find the number, but you are a troll and keep trolling. It is not about honesty, it is about ethics and stupidity. And yes, you are OFF TOPIC and want to make this about you. Start a blog and dont come back

As the days tick by we will know about Chavez’s state of health. It could all be a sham so as to gain votes due to sympathy – as happened with Cristina in Argentina. On the other hand it could be a srious illness such as a tumor since, as far as I have investigated, the most probable cause of a pelvic ancess is pus caused by a burst appendix leading to peronitis.

Miguel – off topic, I knpw but I just found this link on the World Bank web site publiuhsed on April 14th this year.

He probably has ruptured diverticulitis with abcsess. This is a common problem for people his age. Many times it requires removal of part of the colon and possibly a temporary colosotmy. I know many people are hoping for the death of Chavez but this is a routine issue for hospitals and doctors in the U.S. Maybe the world will get lucky and something untoward will happen to bring an end to this dictator. We can always hope.

I made a habit saving the pictures from HCh, like a hobby, HCh with kids, with moms, speaking, etc. The last ones (least week, after the knee problem) he looked serious, maybe under the strain of a pain. I thought it was the knee, but they told us the knee was almost healed… But look at the pictures, with Roussef. Look at the picture with Raúl Castro at the airport. Look at Raúl Castro too. For me he (RC) looks like condescending. Otherwise, it could be really a unexpected situation happening, what a luck, in Cuba.
We will see or maybe not for a while…

I read twice the official statement and I cannot understand whether or not Chavez was in Cuba BEFORE the sudden abscess. An abscess surgery can be performed in any Venezuelan hospital, there is no major issue…
IMHO this is plainBS… I cannot swear it but I bet this was a scheduled and programmed surgery . Unfortunately I cannot envision any source to know where, when, how, why, and so on.. I neither see any relationship between the knee surgery and an intestine abscess…
Unless, there is no abscess at all and this is a kremlin-like makeup for major health issue.

Being a head of State he should have played like the Saudis and come to the USA. What did he think, that Obama would take him hostage. Not that I am sad that he went to Cuba, or anything. It could be treatment for a drug problem too.

First question. Are we engaging in Kremlinology? That’s not the reason I am commenting here.

I am sure he can find at least one good doctor taking his Hippocratic oath to the letter in Venezuela. Maybe he does NOT want to go into a private clinic in Venezuela for propaganda reasons; and he thinks that going to what are basically private clinics for paying patients in Cuba will look Socialist enough for his followers.

On the other hand, I do not wish any harm to a human being, unless they are public officials who simply refuse to allow decency, self-consciousness or the law to take the role of removing them from office. Then, (lethal or nonlethal) human agency, ill health and the great equalizer are at least understandable, if not highly desirable and almost always overdue.

I have always said that the best way Hugo Chavez can go down without taking Venezuela with him is illness or accident, preferably psychiatric/neurologic in nature. So be it, we hope. To a quick and relatively painless end to Chavez and chavismo!

Another angle to look at would be whether or not he trusts any surgical team in Venezuela to anesthetize him and start playing around with sharp knives while he’s unconscious. For the Cubans, he’s their cash cow; he knows they won’t let any accidents happen if they can help it.

Definitely something fishy here. If he went to a hospital in Venezuela, like the Chavistas favourite (Docente La Trinidad), the truth would come out, so Cuba was an obvious choice. Or maybe we are too suspicious because we don’t trust these guys with anything they say.

The guy definitely is not in good health at the moment, that’s for sure.